


the courage of my convictions

by theriveroflight



Series: Revolutionary Past Holders [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Gen, Gift Giving, Nonbinary Character, Period-Typical Homophobia, Queerplatonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 06:00:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28330104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theriveroflight/pseuds/theriveroflight
Summary: Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character, Original Male Character/Original Male Character, Plagg & Original Miraculous Holder Character(s), Plagg & Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), Tikki & Original Miraculous Holder Character(s)
Series: Revolutionary Past Holders [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726885
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8
Collections: December 2020 - Advent Calendar





	the courage of my convictions

**Author's Note:**

> Advent Calendar Day 25 - Les Cadeaux de Nöel
> 
> So I stretched this one a little, no a _lot_. Isn't about French holders, isn't Christmas presents due to the period (though a cursory Google search led me to decide December 6th)...but it's about gift giving?
> 
> Tikki and Plagg use she/it and he/it pronouns respectively and interchange between the two sets. Trixx and Fluff both use they/them in this story.
> 
> Tikki and Plagg, in my opinion, are closest to queerplatonic than any other human term and I will continue to champion my aro/ace/agender kwami agenda.
> 
> This was a pinch hit that took me around an hour to write, so forgive any...blips in quality.
> 
> OCs are from failed May challenge. Title and summary, of course, from Taylor Swift's "peace".

They have come a long way since the war — even if it has only been two years since the official treaty was signed, as far as her awareness expands.

All the Miraculous are now in the  _ correct  _ side’s possession, and while Tikki was very much against the  _ idea  _ of betraying the Order that  _ made  _ them who they are, she knows that it was the right choice.

Plagg is more of the chaotic one, but Tikki has  _ always  _ supported freedom. And that includes the freedom to be with whomever a Holder would like. That includes how the Americans have defined it, no longer oppressed by a government imposing their will.

Catherine and Matthew are an atypical set — their relationship is more like the one between Tikki and Plagg. A lot of the past Ladybugs and Black Cats have been more romantic — Tikki doesn’t quite understand the human notions of romance, doesn’t quite understand a love like that. Her love can only be described  _ by  _ the word “love” — it knows of the Greek kinds, she knows of every word related to it, but there is  _ no  _ human term that can address their relationship. It transcends human knowledge.

Their Holders are both  _ happy  _ with the people they belong with, Matthew with John and her Cathy with Annabelle. They are…supposedly at peace, at least. 

Yet the four of them still have to hide from the world. Hide their love for each other. In the eyes of the human’s false god, John and Cathy are in the greatest of unions; Matthew and Annabelle have the same. She is uncertain why they have paired themselves the way they did — perhaps it comes down to history, perhaps it comes down to people who will not ask questions. After all, many accused Catharine and Matthew of being different, and them marrying each other would look like a disguise for something else. 

(Both couples in the same domicile arouses the suspicion of some, but no one ever asks them directly — they speculate independently, sometimes gossiping on it.)

Tikki does not know what to make of this hiding, but she does know that the humans have a custom of gift giving on the sixth day of the twelfth month. So it asks Fluff for a favor — bring them to somewhere they will be easily accepted.

And Fluff agrees, but their demeanor contains doubt. Tikki promises to tell them not to do too much while they’re there. The gift also requires Trixx to spin the illusion that they look like just  _ regular people  _ — misdirect the eyes of others. Not as much effort as spinning the illusion of some futuristic fashion. A simple misdirection is all that’s necessary, and Trixx can be lazy at times.

Their happiness is all Tikki has ever wanted. She wants to give them peace, above all else, and it wishes that there wasn’t a need for secrecy.

(The important people knew, including Christine and James, but Tikki still believes it unfair.)

“The city changes so much,” Matthew marvels. Tikki hides within Cathy’s bun, and the misdirection seems to be working — despite their apparel from the past, no one glances twice.

Cathy just laces her fingers with Annabelle’s. “We should…take a look,” she says.

“Where is this?” John asks

“I think the correct question is  _ when.” _

But they walk down the strange path, and Tikki, between strands of hair, spots a couple of women, holding hands and walking down the street. It seems the others have spotted them as well, because they stop in their tracks and observe.

“Is this…”

“Where people like us can be  _ open  _ about ourselves,” Cathy realizes. “I…cannot express how much that means.”

“That a future like this even exists is revolutionary,” Matthew says. “I doubt we are the only ones like ourselves. We are not alone-” he squeezes John’s hand “-and our spiritual posterity will be able to  _ know  _ that they aren’t alone.” 

Clouds loom in the sky. “I expect that it may snow soon,” Annabelle declares. “We should…I don’t know what to do here.”

“I am uncertain as well.” Catherine leans against her lover. “But we shall make the most of their openness with their affections, because I suspect we will not have long of it.”

“Yes,” Matthew says, and they walk down the city streets, holding onto the ones they love.

No one pays any mind to them, but they still avoid hitting other pedestrians and the horseless carriages on the road, producing a frankly noxious smoke. Acceptance comes with some drawbacks, Tikki supposes.

There’s a bit of snow beginning to fall. The others on the street don’t pay much mind to it, most of them drawing hoods up on some kind of half-body cloak, or holding their garments closer to their bodies, but Tikki knows the four of them aren’t dressed for snow.

Luckily, Fluff is prepared to bring them back.

When they return, snow is falling, but they are all indoors now. There is no need for concern.

And they all seem to be more relaxed in the coming days afterwards. There is less tension in their shoulders when they hear a rumor floating to their ears from Christine or James. There is less fear in their eyes when they hear about a different woman who loved another — who was punished for it. Tikki’s heart breaks for that, but she puts hope in the future, puts hope that the era they were in is not overly far from the one they are in now.

Tikki wishes…well, wishing is dangerous for her. Wishing always bears consequences, but its tend to manifest more easily, and that can be  _ disastrous. _

Tikki cannot bring them peace, even with the war being over. She cannot give them what they truly desire.

But it has brought them relief, and they seem to consider that enough from her, at least. Even if it does not.

Plagg tells her that she has done more for them than any other past pair.

There is a reason for that. Somewhere in her heart she has a soft spot for Catherine and Matthew, and she says that to Plagg, but she does not draw the comparison between their relationship and that which Catherine and Matthew have.

It is perhaps not…irrelevant, but Plagg dislikes being compared to his Holders — the best of the Holders of Destruction are kind, and caring, and Plagg may not consider itself that but he does care, more than anyone knows.

Anyone besides herself.

In the end, she says that it doesn’t matter why she favors them.

They are kinder than most tend to be to them. Plagg agrees in the end that their kindness runs deep.

They both care, more than most Holders ever know.

**Author's Note:**

> Join us on the [Miraculous Fanworks Discord server](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks) if you're interested in meeting a growing community of creators and Miraculous Ladybug fans and participating in events such as this one! Feel free to drop in and ask me about my OCs, I love my creations and treasure them greatly.
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr @beunforgotten (writing) or @alto-tenure (main) if you want to see more things!


End file.
